Maki
by JR Salazar
Summary: This is a story on Maki Komine, Ran's first apprentice, and the proclaimed "Number Two GAL." This is how she viewed her experience of Shibuya: An education in visualization.


What I've decided to create are some short stories based on episodes I've  
seen. You know, if only GALS! had more drama and less comedy, it would be  
sweet. 60 percent drama, 40 percent comedy is the minimum, IMHO.  


* * *

  
Maki  


* * *

  
What a lot I've learned. A lot.  
My name's Komine Maki, but you can just call me Maki. It's one thing to be  
a fan of Kotobuki Ran-sama and what she does for Shibuya; it's another to  
go all the way down to Shibuya, in Tokyo, and meet her in person. It wasn't  
easy, but I did it. Long story. I will try to make it short, with detail.  
Okay, that doesn't count as short. Ah well. Que sera, sera.  
I'm a gal from Hokkaido. An island in the far north of Japan. So you know  
how long I am from Shibuya. I come from a wealthy family, and I attend one  
of the more prestigious school in northern Hokkaido, one of the few. See,  
there aren't a lot of people on this island. There's only about less than 6  
million people here, thus schools are few and far between, and many  
families have to go south to Honshu to find an education for their  
children. I was one of the few children who managed to go to school here,  
in Sapporo, even though I was born in the northern part of the island. My  
family moved here.  
Anyway, while I was walking back home from school one Sunday afternoon (I  
assume it was, maybe a Saturday, since there is no school on Sunday), I  
stumbled upon an issue of GALS! Magazine. In it featured columns by a gal  
by the name of Kotobuki Ran. She amazed me with her expertise, and street  
savvy. The pages of the magazine featured girls like me, dressing like they  
were from America. Tokyo looked pretty wonderful. And Ran-sama, especially.  
  
So, I bought every issue of GALS! Magazine from newsstands. On top of that,  
I asked my parents if I could spend a week in Tokyo. They had to save,  
save, save. As I continued to rack up the issues, I cut and pasted pictures  
of Ran-sama to a scrapbook, that became bigger, and bigger, and bigger.  
Finally, the day came in which I could travel south to Tokyo, and Shibuya.  
Don't let the oversized sack that I carry and my poor country girlish look  
fool you; there aren't a lot of people who can afford going on a trip from  
Hokkaido down to Tokyo, let along find a place to stay. My family may be  
wealthy, but they aren't millionaires. (I can't afford a suitcase anyway.)  
It cost me about 50,000-ish yen to take a boat to Honshu, and use the  
shinkansen to go to Tokyo, and the JR Yamato line to Shibuya Station.  
Usually it would be more expensive than this, but I got discounts. Plus, my  
parents reserved me for a round trip (or rather, struck a deal with the  
company, so you see, they have numerous connections), so I'm safe.  
Anyway, once I arrived at Shibuya station, I was amazed by the place.  
People going in and out, shopping, dancing, enjoying life the way they want  
to live it. Paradise. So beautiful.  
And then, a voice comes to me, "Irrashiamase, Komine Maki-san."  
I say, "Who's that?"  
"Come here," the voice said.  
I turned around, and it was a statue of the dog Hachiko. It looked so tall,  
as if it watching Shibuya with authority. "I am Hachiko. I am the guard of  
this city, Shibuya. You are looking for someone, is that correct, Komine-  
san?"  
I reply, "Wow, you can talk...Yes, I am looking for somebody."  
"Would that be my master, Kotobuki Ran-sama?"  
Since when did this dog have a new master. Go figure. "Yes, I am looking  
for her. But how did you know."  
"I can see it in your eyes. Anyone who has a knapsack that big, and a  
commitment that strong would be looking for the gal that watches over  
Shibuya like a shepherd watching his flock. And I am the sheepdog.  
Actually, I'm an Akita, but oh well."  
I laughed. "Demo, where can I find her?"  
"Welp, Komine-san, this is the time of day for her to hang around Shibuya,  
why don't you explore?"  
"Can you give me a hint, Hachiko?"  
"I see you're a first-timer, is that correct?"  
"Hai."  
"Well, I guess it wouldn't to tell you. Usually, right now, she would be in  
the Shibuya Koban, or police station." Do you know where that is located?"  
"Iya. No, I don't."  
"It shouldn't be far from here. Tell you what, Komine-san. Look for two  
tall guys. Asou Yuuya-sama and Otohata Rei-sama."  
"Asou...Otohata...who are they?"  
"Yuuya-sama has long blond hair, Rei-sama has a clean-cut look. They  
frequent out here often as well. They shouldn't be far from here. If you  
need directions, you can go ahead and ask them where you want to go. But  
Ran-sama should be far from here"  
"Sou ka na. Domo arigato, Hachiko!"  
"Doitashimashite. Good luck on your journey, and be careful. Shibuya, or  
Tokyo, for that matter, is not Sapporo, Komine Maki-sama!"  
"Yoshi...Arigato, Hachiko!"  
"One more thing..."  
"Eh? Nani?"  
"Don't carry that bag of yours for too long. You'll hurt yourself."  
I made a face at the doggy. He smiled, and I went off.  
I managed to find Asou-san and Otohata-san. They weren't too far from the  
police station, actually. So, when the tow of them took me over there, I  
asked the policeman where Kotobuki Ran-sama was. And then, this tall girl  
come over, and reassures me of things, and what do you know! It's Ran-sama.  
I glomped her in ecstasy. However, I was hungry. So, we went to their  
traditional place to eat, Buono's.  
Apparently, the bill made Asou-san's wallet thinner, much to his disgust.  
10,500 yen. That's enough food for 8 or 9 people, but enough for me. See, I  
have a huge appetite. And if it weren't for Asou-san, I would be dead by  
now.  
Soon after, I introduce myself, and then I throw myself down to the mighty  
Ran-sama, and asked if I could be her apprentice. I explain to her how I  
got here, and showed her the collection of scrapbooks that I brought with  
me. Everyone, especially Asou-san, were amazed. Again, I pleaded my case to  
Ran-sama. At first, she balked at this opportunity. But after Miyu set her  
back, she agreed to.  
So, a few minutes later, it's me, Ran-sama, Miyu, and Aya. As Hachi winked  
at me, I showed Ran-sama a set of floor tiles. Testing whether she was for  
real or not, I wanted to know if she could chop down these floor tiles. It  
was said in the GALS! Magazine that she would. So she did. And these tiles  
were of premium composite material! After Ran chopped them down, her hand  
became a bit swollen. VERY swollen.  
Afterwards, I gave Ran-sama some more tests. "Sure," she said, "come hell  
or high water! Bring it on!" She did everything: help the elderly, left  
barbells and dumbbells, stuff her face with pizza, sprint a marathon faster  
than any Kenyan would ever do in his lifetime. Yes, she did those things.  
And it made her tired. So, she asked for a drink.  
As I purchased some snacks at the nearby store, Ran-sama was discussing  
with Miyu and Aya on the magazine. It turns out that what she said was not  
really what she said. I was a bit disappointed. I came all the way here,  
and I receive nothing in return.  
Nonetheless, I kept that to myself, and handed Ran-sama the food and drink,  
which was a bit too generous. She told me, as the two of us headed to her  
house, that "one cannot fight a war, or take on the day, if he or she is  
hungry and/or thirsty. At any cost, he or she must refuel to take on  
whatever life brings them." Of course, with my huge appetite, it has become  
second-nature. But I still adhere to that Ironclad Rule.  
So, it was me and Ran-sama in her bedroom. And then, there was her little  
sister, Sayo. Now, Sayo wanted to be a police office when she graduates  
from high school. She likes this TV series called "Odaiba Cop," and the  
lead character, Detective Kudoh. Truth be told, I have never heard of this  
series. (Of course, a few weeks after my trip, I would find a copy of the  
first volume of "Odaiba Cop" on the shelves at the local video store in  
Sapporo.) Sayo is always full of energy, and sometimes drives Ran-sama  
nuts, which is always fun to watch.  
Now, Ran was talking about getting up early. Sayo and me were asking why we  
had to get up at about 5:00-6:00 in the morning. So Ran takes out two tubes  
of Balty Hair Color. It seemed I would be getting my makeover early morning  
after all.  
I had a little bit of trouble sleeping that night. Was Ran-sama all she was  
cracked up to be? Or was she nothing more than a lie? That was the question  
I had to ask myself when I woke up and had the makeover.  
So, as Ran-sama and me went to Shibuya Station to rendezvous, she explained  
what I was wearing. These were her junior high clothes, back when she was a  
student at District Shinsho 2 Junior High. Her hairdo was just like that,  
without the classic perm that she now donned.  
"Maki, when I was at that school, I met Miyu. She was not that good of a  
student," she said, as we were walking.  
"Why?"  
"She didn't attend class, she would be wearing her Resistance gear, and  
having a scruffed up look and ego."  
"Resistance? What's that?"  
"The Resistance," Ran-sama said, sighing, hands on her head, "was a youth  
gang in Shibuya led by Miyu. They were a fledgling group, and fought with  
other gangs. You see, there are a lot of gangs here in Tokyo. They steal,  
they fight with others..." Her eyes lowered as she continued, "...they seem as  
if they have no future. Some have had bad parents, other people like this  
have seen there parents killed, or divorced, separated, whatever. So  
Tokyo's not exactly heaven."  
"Oh." I had to eat humble pie on this.  
"But don't worry, cause you've got my friends, and me," said Ran-sama, with  
her trademark wink and lipstick-laced smile. I nodded intently as we met up  
with them.  
Otohata-san wasn't there, but Asou-san was, as well as Kuroi Tatsuki, whome  
everyone calls (and I call now) Tatsukichi. He's this para-para dancer from  
Machida City, in the outskirt of Tokyo-to, which is a very safe place to  
live in, but boring, hence his arrival here. He acts like a monkey  
sometimes, so it's not surprising for him to be called the "Monkey Boy"  
either.  
Shibuya's a wonderful place to spend a weekend, if not an entire lifetime.  
You can shop for discount trinket and clothing, sing in the karaoke bars,  
bowl in the alleys, and other activities. Tatsukichi taught me how to bowl.  
He borrowed, or to put it correctly, stole the idea from Asou-san. On the  
first frame, a strike, and a leap in the air. And I eventually won the  
match over everyone else. Including Asou-san.  
Ran-sama has many male friends and connections. Not to make you  
claustrophobic or anything, but it seems everybody knows who Ran-sama is. A  
couple of Ran's guys came over and told me that I was the "Number 2 Gal,"  
which was a high honor. Me, Komine Maki, Ran's apprentice, the Number 2  
Gal!  
Holding my head up high, I wandered around Bunkamura Street, bumping into  
one of the other gals, who turned her nose on me. Naturally, I brushed it  
off with a smug expression.  
Now, two guys who frequented here, asked me if they can also show me the  
other places in Shibuya. I played some billiards, got some UFO Catcher  
toys, and stuffed my face at Buono's again. I learned from this: Doing  
stuff like this can get you into trouble, as you could be raped, murdered,  
or battered, your money taken as well. So these two guys, who were fed up  
with having their wallets going paper-thin, pinned me to a wall, and were  
about to mess me up pretty bad.  
When Ran arrived, she made an agreement with the two guys. I thought,  
"Whoa, she has this many connections?" But the bigger thing to realize was,  
"I must have failed my teacher, Ran-sama. No, I HAVE failed her. I have  
brought shame to my reputation, to Shibuya, and Ran-sama, and must pay for  
it."  
So I ran to one of the buildings at the center of town, and head to the  
top. It was afternoon, and the restaurant and patio were closed. Amazing  
how I still had access. But it didn't matter. If I wanted to die, I will  
die with dignity, and not with shame. There was no sword available, so  
jumping off a building looked more tempting. This was it.  
Running to the edge, I pondered, "Yes. This is where I will die. Farewell  
to everything I was, and will be." But there was a part of me that said,  
"No, Maki, you cannot do this. You have your life ahead of you. Your whole  
life! And you want to throw it away? No, you can't. You can't!"  
As these two sides of me debated over this, Ran-sama came. She was smiling.  
From the look in her eyes, she understood what I was going through. I leapt  
into her arms, crying. The tears fell like rivers from my eyes. It was like  
I became a lost child in need of shelter and comfort. Ran-sama was the one.  
She became a big sister, a surrogate mother and female guardian. I felt  
even more happier to be with her.  
So, I said, "But what about the things you said in the magazines, Ran-  
sama?"  
Calmly, in a mother-like tone, she said, "There is more to me than the  
magazines. If you get to know someone in person, and you spend a day with  
them, just like you are now, you will understand who they really are, be it  
good or bad. That, I think, should also be an Ironclad Rule for Gals."  
I became stronger after that time. I spent a few more days in Shibuya  
before taking the shinkansen, and the ferry, to Sapporo. Looking at Ran in  
a magazine was good, but realizing who she really is? That's even better. 6  
weeks later, I would return to Tokyo to learn how to dance para-para. A lot  
of arm movements are required, and some background has to be in order.  
When I look back at seeing Shibuya, Ran-sama, and everybody there, I smile  
every time. This was an experience that was priceless. I never forgot about  
it. I would go there again, but I'm too busy preparing for admission to a  
private high school and all. What is a Hokkaido gal and apprentice to  
Shibuya's Kotobuki Ran-sama to do?...  


* * *

  
The End.  
Feed back are always appreciated. 


End file.
